Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-15

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to Mr. Smith q United States $40 bono
of $500. 1t was true that $1,000 had beer
paid for it, but that did not make the salG
illegal. There was no law against pay
ing 100 times the face value if the pur-
chaser, with his eyes open chose to do so
The question was, had the bond il
question been honestly come by? If not
then there bad been purchase and sale
OF stolen goods, and the parties could be
arrested. Now, the probability CT TIE
bond having been stolen was strong. Ii
the first place, It WAS in the possession OF
g known crook, and crooks are not in the
nGbit of investing in government securi-
ties in the usual way. Secondly this
particular crook was regarded as q pos
sible accomplish in the Manhattan rob
berry. Thirdly, twenty-slx $40 bonds o!
$500 each were among the securities
stolen from the Manhattan Bank.
Fourthly, the printed paper or circular
which Mr.. Smiths friend had shown him
must have been the announcement dis
seminated by the bank On the day after
the robbery. Filthy, why should Mr..
! Smith have given double lis value for the
bond had ne wanted it for its normal
! purpose? and what other reason could he
have than q desire 20 protect himself
against some mischief which the bond
might be used 20 iG1iCt upon him? These
were cogent arguments, and yet the case
/ for the other side was not 20 be ignored.
CHAPTER IL.
The case for the other side stood some
what as follows: To begin with, the de-
teCtive had not actually seen the bond,
/ and perhaps there was no bond there. Ia
! the next place, supposing there Was bond,
| il may not have been stolen. Again, as
/ regarded the paper that rescmoled the
/ bank circular, it may have been some
/ thing else; and, finally, the fact that Mr..
! Smith had paid O Thousand dollars in
/ stead CT five hundred may have been
merely Ia settlement of some formsr
transaction OF which the detective knew
nothing.
Moreover, there were in this instance
valid objections sgAinSt making al arrest
on the Chance that an investigation OF
Nj. Smiths pockets would Justify it. If
the BOND proved to be one Of the stolen
( ones then, indeed, it would be al right;
but, if not, then the authorities would be
much worse of than if they had done nc
thing. For they were proceeding against
Mr. Smith upon the assumption that ne
prove MIN so he Wodld thenCefCrth enjoy
the immense advantage of having been
put on his guard, and would devote all
MS means and ingenuity TO parrying
further attack. In other words, 10 arrest
him now would practically be 20 hazard
everything on 8 single cast of the die,
and with the odds rather against success.
BY waiting, on the other nand, 1t WAS not
likely that anything would be lost and
everything might be gained. AaG upon
this statement OF the matter the deteC-
tives finally decided that TIE arrest should
be postponed.
II YVES open to them, however, to pur-
sue an intermediate course. There were
ways OF obtaining Z knowledge Of the
contents OF Mr. Smiths carpet bag and
pockets without subjeCting MIN TO any
lCgal process. Whether or not the pres
ent case were "eXtreme" enough it was
not essY to decide. There was not much
leisure 10 debate the matter or to ODt8in
specific instructions from headquarters.
In the absence OF such Instructions the
detectives we're obliged to use their own
discretion, sGd they finally concluded to
kesp on Ir. Smiths heels and find out
what use he intended TO make of the bond,
if any, and what further business ne
might have to transact in Chicago.
But Mr.. Smiths business in Chicago
WAS already a. an end.
On making inquiries ST the desk Of the
hotel, il appeared that ne had paid his
bill ard announced his intention of TAX
ing the night train back to New York. II
then lacked but half sn hour of the time
81 which the train was To start. The de
tectiye5 Jumped into 3 hack, reached the
depot and boarded the train Just as il
was pulling out. They walked through
the trsin and had the satisfaction OF see
ing EIr. Smith comfortably eusCorced in
the smoking car.
lie had the serene aspect OF man who
has successfully accomplished a desired
object. One Of the detectives sat down
near him and presently entered into con
versstiOn with MIN. He found him emf
nently CouveTsable and apparently IS uu-
reserved IS g gentleman may properly be.
He had Gscert2Ined that Mr. Smith occu-
pied the section opposite his own, and
wss proceeding to enlarge the scope IF
the conversation, preparatory 10 directing
it to certain points of particular interest,
when his interloCutOr, throwing away
the butt Of his cigar, politely explained
that be had been travelling all tqe night
before and WAS too sleepy TO sit up any
longer. TIE detective theTeupOn admit
TED that he, too, was in urgent need of
rest, and accompanied the other back 20
the sleeping car. While the two gentle
men we're preparing for bed the detective
contrived to inform himself that Mr. /
Smiths vallse was the only article Of bag
gage that ne had with him.
The detective only removed his coat /
sud shoes and lay down on his couch
without any very clear idea Of Wnat ne
was to do next. Mr.. Smith, on the con-
trary, went through s complete night /.
toilet, even going so fer as TO put on en-
elegant red silk night cap, end having put /.
his valjSe and boots ind rDeath the bed, /.
ne covered himself up with the blankets, /.
drew his curtains, babe his neighbOr good /
night, and five minutes later was snoring /.
with peaceful regularity.
Meanwhile the detective lag on his bsck /
wondering whether the stolen bonds were /
in the vslise or the coat pocket.
The other passengers turned in one af- |
ter another, until 1t length all the cur
tains were drawn and everybody seemed .
to be asleep, except the night porter, who .
was huddled up in his corner, at the far
end of the car, reading Seaside Library
c0pv of Jules Verre's "Eovage to the .
Noon" The detective turned over on
his side, opened 2 cTevice OF the curtain,
ana liked bis eyes meditatively upon the
handle Of Mr.. Smiths vsuse, which pro
.rudcd from under the bed.
"The next moment 4 heavy i0lt OF the